Abstract:
The South Florida Information Access web site (SOFIA) was created as a 'one-stop-shopping' access point for research on South Florida. All USGS South Florida Place-Based Studies research projects, ranging from mercury contamination in the Everglades to coral reef decline, are online at this site. The site provides project descriptions, proposals, publications, references, data (through the data ... exchange site), metadata, presentations, and contact information, as well as general interest items, such as photographs and posters. In addition, the SOFIA site has an educational section which displays the work SOFIA is doing with the Academy of Science and Technology in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The South Florida restoration effort requires multidisciplinary information relating to present and historical conditions for use in responsible decision-making. The U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a research program in support of the restoration of the Everglades and South Florida ecosystem in 1995. USGS personnel have been conducting research projects designed to provide sound scientific information on which resource managers can base their decisions. The USGS also has recognized the need for a central site to provide all interested parties with information from this research and access to these data. The objectives of the SOFIA website are to continue to provide a usable and Section-508-compliant website that provides direct access to all south Florida Place-Based Studies information. The initial version of the site was specifically tailored for scientists, managers and decision-makers. More recent and expanded versions of the site have added educational materials and general outreach items designed for the general public.